This is how I play!

[Karate]

So, now I will address the Efren reference. I believe Efren to be the best player in the world.(my opinion only, no flame war will change it.) . . .BUT, I believe by the way Efren goes to the table, that he is shooting instinctively. Yes, I may or may not be putting words in his mouth. I would say he approaches the shot knowing it will go in and does not calling out what slice or fraction he is hitting. I would also say he is not imaging a ghost ball. These guys approach on a line which stroked through will sink the object ball. I would say most(all?) pros are playing instinctively.

.

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I believe that once you've pocketed thousands of balls and played countless
cash games, over many years, this is how you end up.

I do see that the wide majority of people on this site are looking for a secret
formula for getting better and many of these people like the technical aiming
threads...I have no problem with that.

But, whatever happened to playing so much that you start to remember how to hit that shot, and that shot, and that safe, and run that out.

And, I'll have to add, that if you don't have anything on the shot or game...and you're hitting balls with your buddy.....you're probably not going to get much better than you all ready are.

Play better players more often, play games that mean something(I prefer to bet something, but you might not gamble, so play tourneys, but try to win by playing to YOUR strengths..that you will slowly accumulate; don't go there for entertainment and a beer.) <---I'm not saying don't drink and support your local pool room....I'm saying there is a time to play serious pool.

One more thought....If you are struggling with a shot, go to the pool room(not the internet) and hit the shot over and over with Hi-right, Hi-left, Low-right and Low-left and Center.....and remember how they all react.
Object ball goes that way, Cue Ball comes back this way...wow, I can
win with that knowledge.

Next thing you know....you are getting better and better.
And when you are in that game...that matters...you'll know the shot.


That's just how I play and I hope you all get something out of this.

BTW, this is my first thread, and I mean no harm by my opinions.

Karate-

 

[SK Custom Cues]

nicely put

I couldn't have said it any better myself. This is same philosophy martial arts teaches and the same philosophy I have applied to my game including everything else I do.

 

[JimS]

Well said.

 

[Gregg]

I couldn't have said it any better myself. This is same philosophy martial arts teaches and the same philosophy I have applied to my game including everything else I do.

It's funny, because I do both as well, and relate a lot of my life's lessons to both of these activities.

Walking into a pool hall to learn the game with no instruction is akin to walking into a dojo with no teacher.

Of course, nobody is going to put in the grunt work, as with both, you learn by doing, actively participating. But you can't overlook the value and direction of those who have come before you.

 

[ShootingRazbone]

------------------------------------------------------------


I believe that once you've pocketed thousands of balls and played countless
cash games, over many years, this is how you end up.

I do see that the wide majority of people on this site are looking for a secret
formula for getting better and many of these people like the technical aiming
threads...I have no problem with that.

But, whatever happened to playing so much that you start to remember how to hit that shot, and that shot, and that safe, and run that out.

And, I'll have to add, that if you don't have anything on the shot or game...and you're hitting balls with your buddy.....you're probably not going to get much better than you all ready are.

Play better players more often, play games that mean something(I prefer to bet something, but you might not gamble, so play tourneys, but try to win by playing to YOUR strengths..that you will slowly accumulate; don't go there for entertainment and a beer.) <---I'm not saying don't drink and support your local pool room....I'm saying there is a time to play serious pool.

One more thought....If you are struggling with a shot, go to the pool room(not the internet) and hit the shot over and over with Hi-right, Hi-left, Low-right and Low-left and Center.....and remember how they all react.
Object ball goes that way, Cue Ball comes back this way...wow, I can
win with that knowledge.

Next thing you know....you are getting better and better.
And when you are in that game...that matters...you'll know the shot.


That's just how I play and I hope you all get something out of this.

BTW, this is my first thread, and I mean no harm by my opinions.

Karate-

100% agree totally

 

[3kushn]

Are you trying to say there's no magic bullet? Crap!! Now I have to actually work at this?

Rep to you.

 

[Black-Balled]

I like beer.

 

[Cornerman]

I do see that the wide majority of people on this site are looking for a secret
formula for getting better and many of these people like the technical aiming
threads...

I 100% disagree. I don't ever for one second think that anyone talking about anything here whether techincial or esoteric, for or against (systems, engineered shafts, chalk, etc.) believe in a magic bullet. IMO, anyone who thinks that those discussions encourage the magic bullet idea have completely missed the value of those posts. Every player that comes on these boards love the game first and foremost. Do you really think that the wide majority of people on this site isn't just like you???

But, whatever happened to playing so much that you start to remember how to hit that shot, and that shot, and that safe, and run that out.

Nothing happened to it. I think internet forum readers somehow delude themselves to think that just because some people spend an inordinate amount of time on these boards means they actually don't play the game or don't have a real world boat load of experience.

I mean look at the proof: Mike Page and SpiderWebb. I think if many of you never saw their videos on youtube, you might presume that Mike for example might be just some arm chair player that never actually hit a ball. Look at Dave Segal (SpiderWebb) who discusses aiming systems until he's blue in the face. These are two "opposing factions" if you will (technical vs. esoteric) that both have put their videos online. I think they represent exactly who you are talking about (lots of talk on system or techhnical proofs), and yet is there any doubt that both of these players also have hit thousands of balls and have gotten where they are both as players and as internet board talkers due to years of study and hard work? Do you really think the "wide majority" are looking to get anywhere from something else???

Even if ,for example, Dave says that learning his systems have jumped his game like nothing else, he still has a ton of shooting experience behind that to make that jump.

We're all from similar backgrounds as far as this game goes. People who are confused as to what posters do on the pool table should try to remember that.

Fred

 

[CreeDo]

I like what cornerman has said. Just because someone puts out an aiming system, or looks one up, doesn't mean they're looking for an easy way out. It's not right to imply that these guys are looking for some cheap shortcut to getting good that won't involve actual work. If anything, learning and drilling for an aiming system is more work than just hitting it repeatedly until it sinks in.

The video of spiderwebb shooting a straight pool break shot is a good example of this. Look at all the careful meticulous lining up he does just to sink this one ball... you need to concentrate and work much harder to shoot systematically like this, but his results looked pretty good. I personally don't use an aiming system but I don't assume those that do are somehow lazy or inferior.

By the way I also don't look down on anyone trying to say "practice makes perfect" because that's a point worth making You can't run out from the armchair.

On the subject of guys who put out a thousand pages of theory online but can also hit a ball, check out Mr. Jewett making that 90 degree cut on youtube. I've run countless racks but that shot terrifies me, and he does it in a few tries.